N24 Debut “A Dream Come True” for Broadbent

Jimmy Broadbent has described the opportunity to make his debut in the Nürburgring 24 as something he considered “far beyond any realm of possibility” before he signed on with Black Falcon for the Eifel endurance classic.

The British driver, who gained popularity through his YouTube channel which largely focuses on sim racing, is set to make his first N24 appearance aboard the No. 150 BMW M4 GT4.

Broadbent’s first steps in real life racing came in Praga machinery in the Britcar Endurance Championship, picking up race wins at the end of his debut season before moving on to the Praga Cup in 2022 and winning the title alongside Gordie Mutch.

As Broadbent told Sportscar365, it was after that championship victory that he was approached by fellow YouTuber and Nürburgring local Misha Charoudin about the Nordschleife project.

Charoudin has one previous N24 start under his belt, driving the Ollis Garage Racing Dacia Logan in 2021.

“I think I was on holiday at some point, sort of celebrating the fact that this happened,” Broadbent said.

“And I got a phone call from Misha himself, being like, ‘Hey, I’ve been talking with Bilstein about this project and they want some more drivers and I thought I’d give you a call.’

“So, it’s one of those things where you get the call, he says, ‘Oh, do you want to come and race at the Nürburgring?’ And I’m like ‘Yeah, what have I got to do?’

“It all sort of went from there. But with motorsport, you never really know you’re doing something until you’re there actually doing it.

“So Bilstein, to be honest, put their money where their mouth was and we’re here doing it now.”

Under the Team Bilstein by Black Falcon banner, Broadbent began racing in a BMW 330i, most notably in NLS.

That car was then traded in for the M4 GT4, with the announcement of Broadbent’s N24 debut coming in March.

“I mean, to be here doing this now, it seems a bit cliche, but it’s a dream come true,” he said.

“I thought this was far beyond any realm of possibility, and then suddenly we’re here doing it.”

The No. 150 BMW, which as Broadbent quipped has been lovingly referred to as the “influencer car” by some observers, has proven competitive so far this season.

It took a SP8T class win during the second NLS round in April and finished on the class podium during the N24 Qualifiers.

Broadbent explained that his sim racing background, despite his lack of experience on the real-life Nordschleife, has helped him get up to speed.

“When I came to the circuit, I did one lap, and I was like, ‘Cool, I know where I’m going,” he said.

“I know roughly what I should be doing straight away. You can’t tell me that someone who’s never driven here before, physically, will be able to hop into a car and do that.

“And it’s not because I’m some super-talented individual. I kind of like to pretend I am, but it’s not because of that.

“It’s because I’ve had thousands of hours of driving this circuit virtually and training myself to do it. There are differences, of course.

“Like the rain, you can’t really prepare for that. You can’t prepare for the wet and how rain really works around here.

“I mean, iRacing has a decent model now, but that’s only been around for a little bit.”

Co-Driver Brown Disqualified for Code 60 Infringement

The No. 150 BMW has been reduced to a three-man driver crew for the 52nd running of the Eifel endurance classic, as Broadbent’s co-driver Steve Alvarez Brown has been disqualified from the event for a Code 60 violation.

Brown, a fellow YouTuber also known under the name Super GT, was due to share the car with Broadbent, Charoudin and 2016 N24 winner Manuel Metzger.

A stewards’ decision published on Friday outlines that Brown failed to adhere to the prescribed speed limit under Code 60 during the second qualifying practice session on Thursday evening.

“The stewards consider it proven that car No. 150 [excessively violated] the speed limits in a case of a Code 60 situation when passing through the relevant sectors with more than 65 km/h (40 mph) over speeding,” the document reads.

As a result, Brown has been barred from competing in the race and has also been stripped of his Nordschleife permit, while the No. 150 car has been ordered to serve a 90-second stop and go penalty after the first lap on Saturday.

In a statement on social media, Brown said he is “totally devastated” by the disqualification, adding that he was “unquestionably above the required speed” during the Code 60.

“I’ve always valued myself as a respectful and safe driver – I’m fully aware that the Nürburgring races only happen if respect is maintained to the safety of everyone at the event at all times,” he wrote.

“It’s really tough to take as it was really my first mistake in my two seasons of racing here.”

With Brown sidelined, Broadbent now will share the car with Charoudin and Metzger as a three-man lineup. Brown has stated he will remain on-site at the event to support his teammates.